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GSA Recognizes Innovation Across Government with IRMCO Awards

Awardees among those lauded for opening and improving government operations

WASHINGTON – Agency teams and individuals across the federal government were recognized at GSA's 2010 Interagency Resources Management Conference awards for their commitment to strengthen government operations, foster a more open government, and improve collaboration with the public. The IRMCO awards recognize government awardees in three distinct categories: GSA’s IRMCO Awards, GSA’s Citizen Services Awards, and the Chief Information Officers Council’s Leadership Award.

“The award winners at this year’s IRMCO foster the collaborative and innovative spirit that we at GSA believe is vital to good government operations,” said GSA Administrator Martha Johnson. “They should be commended for taking risks that ultimately lead to a more efficient government.”

The IRMCO award is given in recognition of exceptional ability to operate across organizational boundaries to improve the citizen’s experience with their government. One team and one individual were recognized:

The U.S. State Department’s Western Travel Initiative received the 2010 Team Award in recognition of its collaborative efforts to deploy technologies that better manage the flow of U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign visitors, while also strengthening U.S. border security. The initiative increases security checks while not increasing wait times. The team also included employees of the U.S Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Patrol and the U.S. General Services Administration.

Joseph W. Bodmer, senior information technology specialist and project director, Division of State and Tribal Systems, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, received the 2010 individual award for developing a computer database that improves communications between state, local, and tribal entities tracking child support enforcement. The system is expected to save tribes and the federal government hundreds of millions of dollars in duplicative systems development costs.

Three agencies from across the federal government were presented with the 2010 Citizen Services Award for innovative programs that enhance the citizen experience. GSA's Office of Citizen Services, which fosters public engagement by using innovative technologies to connect citizens to government information and services, annually presents the award to agencies that have excelled in the area of customer service via web, telephone, or email helping citizens more easily find the information they need from their government. Three winners were recognized:

The Federal Student Aid Information Center, U.S. Department of Education, for improving the online Free Application of Federal Student Aid Improvements included site navigation simplification, shortening the application, and improving the process to deliver income and tax data directly from the IRS.

TV Converter Box Coupon Program, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. This program touched more than 34 million households in 19 months. The website and call center handled millions of inquiries, and delivered multilingual services while maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction. The organization’s outreach ran the gamut from national television advertising campaigns to grass root marketing.

Child Welfare Information Gateway, Administration on Children, Youths and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Child Welfare Information launched an effective campaign of social media outreach in 2009, including a Facebook presence, creating an agency YouTube channel, and live web chat. In addition, the agency received double the feedback from customers through conference, their website and publications

The Chief Information Officers Council Awards recognize employees and teams committed to using technology to open government, improve citizen engagement, and strengthen network security. Three individuals and one team were recognized:

Dr. Timothy Cromwell, the project leader for the Health Information Data Exchange, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Cromwell worked collaboratively with various stakeholders to securely share health information electronically across different government agencies;

Donna Roy is the chief data architect from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Roy worked collaboratively with the U.S. Department of Justice to improve data management and information sharing;

Robert Vietmeyer is the FORGE.mil project director from the Defense Information Systems Agency. The projects enables collaborative development and distribution of open source software and Defense community source software to better improve community and information sharing, and;

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As one of its flagship open government initiatives, the center launched a CMS dashboard that allows the public to visualize and analyze Medicare spending with unprecedented ease and clarity.

GSA provides a centralized delivery system of products and services to the federal government, leveraging its enormous buying power to get the best value for taxpayers.

• Founded in 1949, GSA manages more than one-fourth of the government’s total procurement dollars and influences the management of $500 billion in federal assets, including 8,600 government-owned or leased buildings and 208,000 vehicles.
• GSA helps preserve our past and define our future, as a steward of more than 480 historic properties, and as manager of USA.gov, the official portal to federal government information and services.
• GSA’s mission to provide superior workplaces, expert technology solutions, acquisition services, purchasing and E-Gov travel solutions and management policies, at best value, allows federal agencies to focus on their core missions.